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What is the Rasmussen Report?

Norman C. Rasmussen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted a study of nuclear reactor safety for the United States Atomic Energy Commission in the early 1970s. (A nuclear reactor is any device used for controlling the release of nuclear power so that it can be used for constructive purposes.) The study, called the "Reactor Safety Study," better known as the "Rasmussen Report," cost four million dollars and took three years to complete. It concluded that the odds against a worst-case nuclear accident occurring were astronomically large: ten million to one.

The report predicted that a worst-case accident would result in about 3,000 early deaths and 14 billion dollars in property damage due to contamination. In addition, about 1,500 people per year would contract cancer following the accident. The study concluded that the safety features engineered into a plant are very...

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